Baseball Needs More Female Leaders
ALSO: WILL THINGS GET BETTER FOR DEVERS IN TOUGH NEW BALLPARK?
Pregame Pepper
Power vs. power: Chris Sale fanned Pete Alonso three times Wednesday night during his 5-0 win for the Braves over the Mets at Truist Park . . .
Only a two-out, ninth-inning bloop hit by Brandon Nimmo prevented Sale from cashing in his first complete game in six years . . .
Still hard to conceive that Warren Spahn, an earlier Braves lefty who won a Cy Young Award, had 382 complete games in his career . . .
Although the Mets and Yankees both sprinted to early leads in the respective Eastern Divisions, the two a combined 11-game losing streak as play began yesterday . . .
The Mets will miss Tylor Megill, their surprise strikeout leader, who joined fellow starters Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea on the injured list this week . . .
Before they blew a six-run lead in the ninth inning against Arizona earlier this month, Atlanta had not done that since July 17, 1973 — a streak of 766-0 in such games . . .
As for the Diamondbacks, they had been 0-419 in games they trailed by at least six runs entering the ninth inning . . .
Both streaks ended when Arizona eked out an 11-10 victory against an Atlanta bullpen that leads the majors in blown saves.
Leading Off
Baseball Needs to Take Off Its Blinders
By Bill Pruden
In January 2021, Bianca Smith was front-page news when the Boston Red Sox hired her as a minor-league coach, an appointment that made her the first black woman coach in professional baseball history.
That announcement came a year after Alyssa Nakken had been promoted to the position of assistant coach for the San Francisco Giants, making her the first full-time female coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. And then later that summer she became the first female to coach on the field when she occupied the first base coaching box on July 20, against the Oakland Athletics.
These two landmark appointments were followed in November 2021 by the glass- ceiling shattering hiring of long-time baseball executive Kim Ng as the General Manager of the Miami Marlins, making her the first woman to hold that position and to serve as head of baseball operations.
And then in 2022 the New York Yankees named Rachel Balkovec as the manager of the team’s single A minor league team, the Tampa Tarpons, making her the first woman to serve as a full-time manager for a major league affiliated team. Each of these hires was greeted with great fanfare offered as evidence of the fact that the one-time national pastime was at long last making strides in the area of opportunities for women
Now none of these hires came out of nowhere. Indeed, in peeling back the layers it is apparent that each of these women had more than paid their dues. In fact, in looking at their career biographies, while at the same time surveying the rosters of those who held comparable positions, each of these pioneering women seemed to exemplify the old adage that “Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.” And yet however true that might be, in the end, they did get the jobs and so the question becomes where are they now? Were these glass ceiling cracking appointments the next step on an inexorable climb, one that reflects and will further a changing leadership dynamic in professional baseball or were they aberrations in the still dominant boys club that rules MLB?
Well the answer, at least based on this sample, is inconclusive but not encouraging.
The most monumental of these appointments was undoubtedly the long-overdue choice of Kim Ng as Marlins General Manager. But after just three seasons, and despite leading the team to its first full season play-off berth in 20 years, she declined to exercise her option for the 2024 season, refusing to accept the clear demotion that owner Bruce Sherman’s plan to install a president of baseball operations represented.
With her dignity intact, she walked away and is now Commissioner of Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball, the organization in which MLB recently announced it would be making a multiyear financial investment, with the goal, according to Commissioner Rob Manfred, of “getting a softball league into the same position of stability that the WNBA has found.”
Alyssa Nakken’s career seemed to be moving forward when she was interviewed in 2023 for the managerial opening with the Giants and even though she was not selected, the interview itself represented another first on her resume. And given the raft of different ways that people can gain experience and advance in baseball, her November 2024 decision to join the Cleveland Guardians as assistant director for player development would seem to be an opportunity that can only make her a more attractive candidate for any number of front-office openings, especially since, unlike counterpart Rachel Balkovec, Nakken has not expressed a definite professional goal.
At the same time that she moved out of the dugout and into the front office in January 2024 to serve as Director of Player Development for the Miami Marlins, Rachel Balkovec announced a clear goal of wanting to serve as a big-league GM. It seems that’s a job for which her many trail-blazing positions — from the first female full-time strength and conditioning coach for an affiliated minor-league team to the first full-time female hitting coach for a major-league organization -- have prepared her. How long she has to wait for the opportunity remains to be seen.
And finally, there is Bianca Smith, whose appointment allowed MLB to crow about two advances. But ironically, for all the fanfare that accompanied her hiring, she now checks neither box on the MLB tote board having declined a multi-year offer for a job she saw as a step backwards.
Desiring work in the area of game strategy, the Red Sox’ player development offer was not in line with what she wanted.
Instead, the possessor of both a law degree and an MBA on top of her Ivy League (Dartmouth) BA moved to Japan in the aftermath of the 2023 season where she coached elementary and middle school baseball. Then, early in 2024, she accepted a job working with both the women’s national and 23-and-under teams of Great Britain.
Not exactly the fast track to an MLB front office, but it is still baseball and while she has not ruled out a return to MLB, by the end of 2024 she could boast having coached in five different countries on three different continents — not bad experience in a game that is becoming increasingly global.
Clearly these thumbnail profiles of the career paths career paths of these pioneering women offer no real road map for how to craft a career in baseball. But they do raise questions about what it takes — especially if viewed against the background of the state of the game, with teams and their fans desperate for new ideas, new approaches, and new energy.
Given the under-utilized talent pool that these women represent, MLB’s leaders might want to look ahead and promote new talent instead of gazing into the rear-view mirror to rehabilitate decades-old offenders of some of the game most cherished norms.
There is a pool of talent out there that has too long been undervalued, if not outright ignored, and the game has suffered as a result.
Bill Pruden is a high school history and government teacher who has been a baseball fan for over six decades. He has been writing about the game--primarily through SABR sponsored platforms, but also in some historical works--for about a decade. His email address is: courtwatchernc@aol.com.
Cleaning Up
Rafael Devers Faces Tougher Path In San Francisco
By Dan Schlossberg
Like a car whose wheels are out of alignment, the Red Sox realized that Rafael Devers no longer fit in The Hub.
But trading him to the San Francisco Giants may create even bigger problems for the powerful left-handed slugger despite a 2-for-5 debut that included an RBI double.
Ousted from third base in Boston when the Sox signed smooth-fielding Alex Bregman last winter, Devers decided to ignore team requests that he shift to first — a position of need after the Triston Casas injury — and was almost as vocal in his diatribe against moving to DH.
Never mind that David (Big Papi) Ortiz, an earlier Red Sox ripper, rode the DH straight through the gates of Cooperstown.
The combination of big mouth and big contract stamped Devers as a malcontent, someone whose presence in the clubhouse had a negative influence on team chemistry.
But San Francisco could be worse.
With Gold Glover Matt Chapman at third, Devers has no hope of returning to that position. He lacks both experience and motivation at the opposite corner, leaving the DH spot the only way the Giants could squeeze his bat into their lineup.
But the big issue is the ballpark, buffeted by constant Bay Area breezes and lacking the short walk personified by Fenway’s Green Monster, dented by countless opposite-field pokes from Devers.
The blockbuster trade, which netted a four-player return from the Giants, not only rid the Red Sox of Devers but also his $313.5 million contract, a team record.
Team officials worried that Devers was setting a bad example for such rising stars as Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. Anyond paid that much, they reasoned, should be willing to do whatever he could to help the team win.
“It’s the willingness to step and sacrifice at times of need and essentially do whatever is necessary to help the the team win,” said Boston baseball operations chief Craig Breslow, a former pitcher, in a Zoom call with reporters earlier this week.
“I think that’s the identity, this relentless pursuit of winning, that we’re looking for.”
CEO Sam Kennedy and Breslow repeated multiple times during the call that the team and Devers could no longer “find alignment.” But Breslow said Devers did not request a trade.
Boston had little trouble finding takers for Devers, a three-time All-Star with one of the best bats in the game. San Francisco won out by agreeing to take on more than $250 million remaining on the slugger’s contract. The Giants also sent three pitchers and a prospect to Boston to complete the transaction.
After the deal was announced, Devers said he would be willing to play first base for the Giants, who waived weak-hitting incumbent LaMont Wade a few weeks ago.
“They’re the men in charge,” Devers said, finally sounding like a team player. “I’m here to play wherever they want me to play.”
That will be first base and DH, according to manager Bob Melvin.
But what will happen next year when blue-chip prospect Bryce Eldridge, now playing first in the upper minors, is ready?
Despite his limited experience, Devers is penciled in to play first base tonight, when the Red Sox open a weekend series in San Francisco. He’ll take plenty of practice grounders in advance.
No matter what, it should create multiple new story-lines.
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ loves old-fashioned baseball trades. Yet the Devers deal surprised him. Dan is national baseball writer for forbes.com, columnist for Sports Collectors Digest, and contributor to Memories & Dreams and USA TODAY Sports Weekly, among other outlets. His email is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia: Late-Starting Rookies Of The Year
Could this year’s top rookies still be lurking in the minors?
Baseball history shows numerous players who won Rookie of the Year awards despite mid-season recalls . . .
Willie McCovey launched his Hall of Fame career on July 30, 1959 with a 4-for-4 outburst against a fading Robin Roberts, then went on to hit .354 with 13 homers in 52 games for the Giants . . .
McCovey’s 219 plate appearances were the fewest ever recorded by a Rookie of the Year winner but he still won the trophy by unanimous vote . . .
Bob Horner (1978), Ryan Howard (2005), and Yordan Alvarez (2019) also won the honor after arriving in the middle of the season . . .
Can the Red Sox trio of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer follow suit in the American League? Or maybe just-promoted Kaycee clouter Jac Caglianone? . . .
In the National League, lefty-hitting catcher Drake Baldwin of the Braves has his sights on the award even though he’s fighting for playing time behind veteran Sean Murphy.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], does the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.